


Masquerade - by theChaplinfangirl

by SissolxJeffC4ever



Series: Fry and Perkins Favourite Moments Collection - by theChaplinfangirl [1]
Category: Actors RPFs, British Comic Actors RPFs
Genre: Drama, F/M, Pre-Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-05-07
Packaged: 2019-05-03 11:32:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14568123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SissolxJeffC4ever/pseuds/SissolxJeffC4ever
Summary: SUMMARY: A masquerade makes Sue Perkins hyper aware of someone she danced with that same night. And would they meet again? It is impossible, but is it actually?  Mystery and eventual romance. Pre-pre-relationship





	Masquerade - by theChaplinfangirl

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This is sort of based on Fry and Perkins, the first fic of the series of the same name. According to Jeffery, Sue and Stephen first met some time before QI in this AU, and it was via a masquerade. I kind of understand his logic in that, because my recent Community fanfic also began a relationship via a masquerade.

o.o.o 

 

Fandom: Actors RPFs and British Comic Actors RPFs 

Disclaimer: None of the people depicted belong to me, unfortunately! 

Warning(s): No warnings, except for masks? 

Pairing(s): Sue Perkins/Stephen Fry(pre-pre-relationship), Giles Coren/Sue Perkins(developing relationship)  

Rating: K+ 

 

o.o.o 

 

Title: Masquerade 

Author: theChaplinfangirl 

 

o.o.o 

 

  

It was finally January the first, in fact, the first January ever of a new year, a new Century — the 21st century. 

  Sue was notified when she finally finished another episode of whatever she was doing with Mel Gierodyc, and already, her best friend, Giles Coren, notified both of them of a masquerade. 

  Sue wasn’t that enthusiastic about masquerades, since she understood that she and Giles better take things slow, as they were still in their pre-relationship phase, as they were crashing occasionally at each other’s houses. 

 

  “Who and who will be there?” asked Mel as they were preparing at Sue’s place. “I still have to find a date. You’ll never know, Caroline’s got Alan!” 

  Both Sue and Giles looked up, Sue without any surprise, but Giles the opposite. 

  “WHAT?” he hollered, with mock-surprise, “you don’t have a date with Alan Davies?! How could you, Mel???” 

 

  Sue rolled her eyes at her friends’ antics, especially right before a masquerade. Said event was supposed to be people looking for dates along the way, not already having a date and leading him or her. 

 

  “You two do understand that we’ll be dating with whomever we get when we arrive, don’t you?” she asked, breaking their laughing. “Also, this is exactly why I hate wearing dresses and all that — way too elaborate!” 

  Giles and Mel looked over to their friend, and the latter beamed. Sue was wearing this dark gown with sequins and had a very mysterious feel to it, as Giles commented that it’d attract more males than normal, and maybe even Alan Davies. 

  Mel squawked at the last one. “Yes, Giles, I get it she’s stunning, but Alan?” 

  Giles just smiled at her and continued gawking at Sue until said person threatened to not even join in. 

 

o-o-o 

 

  The masquerade was inside this really great mansion that was full of people, both celebrities and non-celebs. Most of the non-celebs were lounging around and Sue wanted to join them, as she wasn’t that interested in dancing, unbeknownst to Giles and Mel, who were gleamy and happy. 

  “ Right, we’d better get some drinks first into our bloodstream!” yelled Giles above the music of the dance floor, which reminded Sue of a George Michael song. 

 

  Agreeing, Sue joined them, as Mel continued to complain about not having a date. 

  “By the way, why don’t you two dance the first round?” she suddenly asked, and Mel squawked again, accidentally attracting some attention from bystanders. 

 

  “Absolutely not, Sue, you two dance the first round!” she yelled back. 

  But Giles was way more enthusiastic. “Why not?” he then led Mel to the dance floor, as Sue beamed through her mask that was more like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe story. 

 

  It was eventually her turn when a stranger approached her, almost shyly, to ask her for the next dance. 

  Like the New Year’s theme of Phantom of the Opera, all males were in either full white masks or half-masks that presented the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical; likewise, that was also the music playing for everyone to dance to. 

 

  _“Masquerade! Paper faces, turning heads!_

 _Masquerade! Look out, there’s another mask right there behind you!”_  

 

  It was a complete mystery to Sue on why was she complying to the stranger’s request, since she’d been rejecting everyone else’s. Maybe this stranger was Michael Crawford himself, as they almost had the same voice; but no, Sue gently turned her head and looked up the bannisters, where tonight’s hosts, Michael Crawford and ALW himself, were situated, and there he was — the original ghost himself, wearing his iconic costume and everything, while looking down at everyone else dancing. 

  As she and the mystery male danced around the floor, Sue spotted Giles and Mel taking a break, as Giles got her gaze and gave her a thumbs-up, as Mel cackled into his shoulder after one look at their macabre dance and clothes. 

  Sue rolled her eyes at her friends just as the stranger asked her, “so they’re your friends?” 

 

  She flushed behind her mask, as she averted her gaze at him and glared at her friends instead, with said friends grinning with mirth and Sue swearing in her head that once this masquerade is over, she’s gonna kill them. 

  “Right, and darn good friends they are,” she said back softly, hating and loving the effect the mystery male had on her. 

 

o-o-o 

 

  It was way later in the night did Michael Crawford got into the crowd to dance with everyone else, as Sue couldn’t stop a small squeak as she spotted him. At the same time, Mel was about to have a full-blown breakdown. 

 

  “AAAHH! SUE, THAT’S MICHAEL CRAWFORD!” she screamed above the music. 

  Sue and the mystery male were taking a break from their dance, and that’s when Mel decided to shriek like fangirls of celebrities. 

  “We get the picture!” she yelled back, getting up from her place and taking a glass of drink from the drinks area. 

 

  Soon, Giles sauntered over and hugged Sue from behind, almost scaring the living daylights out of her. 

  Sue was about to elbow whoever it was when it was Giles’s voice who spoke, “so your new date was a success, eh?” 

  She hated herself even more for accepting the mystery male’s offer, but for some reason, she couldn’t reject him. 

  “Yes and no.” Sue said back, after taking a sip of her drink and calming down from the scare, “who is he, I wonder? Can’t be James, right?” 

 

  Giles nearly spat out his wine when he heard that. “No way, Susan, he’s dancing with Caroline, just saw him not long ago!” he exclaimed, laughing really hard. “Don’t tell Mel, OK?” 

  Sue agreed, but whoever this mystery male was, she was determined to find out, whatever it takes. 

 

  It was near midnight when Michael finally stopped parading around in the dancers, as he was about to make the most important announcement ever. 

  “It’s finally close to midnight, and you’re about to reveal to each other exactly who you are!” he yelled, as everyone cheered, with both vigour and nerves, “now there’s only ten seconds…nine…” 

 

  Sue almost tuned him out by that point, thinking about whether James May and Michael had a twin or even a cousin, when the latter shouted, “…and ONE! MIDNIGHT! Now masks OFF!!!” 

  At a corner, Giles and his mystery female were already struggling, as they finally took off their masks. 

 

  “Giles!” beamed Caroline Quentin, “I’ve been waiting for almost forever for this moment, and I knew I’d be with you!” 

  Giles hugged her closely, too happy for words at her confession about herself, as he still had a feeling about Sue, Mel, and the former’s mystery date. 

 

  Unexpectedly, Mel was with Hugh Laurie of Jeeves and Wooster fame all the time as she didn’t even notice, as they shared a passionate embrace.  Giles beamed at her, as he looked through the  entire crowd for Sue and her mystery date. 

  Apparently those two were back at the drinks vendor, finally with their masks off each other. 

 

  “James?” murmured Sue, as Giles mentally face-palmed himself. Yes, James and the mystery person was indeed twins — very possibly separated at birth, but they most recently watched the Oscar Wilde movie and Sue didn’t even notice herself replacing Alfred. 

  “No. I’m Stephen, Stephen Fry.” said her date, gently correcting her and making her into a blushing mess all over again. 

 

  Giles suddenly felt a wave of jealousy. Of course, Stephen was popular just because of collaborating with Hugh in their crazy Monty Python rip-off sketches and P.G.Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster television adaptation, as well as the most recent movie he and Sue watched — the mentioned Oscar Wilde biopic. 

  Without even gasping or shouting, “Oh, my god, it’s you!”, Sue just simply nodded, gazing in Stephen’s intense eyes. 

 

  “Susan Perkins.” she said back breathily, as Giles wanted to jump out from the shadows and grab Sue and tell Stephen to back off from her. 

  Cringing again, Giles finally got out of the shadows, and it was all he could do to not kill Stephen right then and there, with he and Sue gazing at each other like love-birds inside some sappy romance novel. 

 

  “Hi there, Stephen,” said Giles, trying to keep the bite out of his voice, “‘mfraid Sue here still wants to meet Michael?” 

  Stephen looked at Sue. “Michael Crawford?” 

  The latter flushed again. It has to be the alcohol getting to her, since she could never drink cocktails without acting totally out of character. 

  “Giles, don’t,” she murmured, then looked at Stephen again. “Mel wanted Alan Davies to be her date, but got Hugh Laurie instead, how crazy’s that?” she cracked up, almost collapsing in Stephen’s arms. 

 

  Both Giles and Stephen stared at her, totally comfortable in her own skin, without any of her usual insecurities; apparently both were attracted to her, and she didn’t even notice. 

  Stephen was never really that interested in females, unless you count in several of his crushes when filming some show or movie, or even during his time in Cambridge university; but this was different. He wanted her, needed her with him.  

 

  “You wanted to meet Michael, and how can you, behaving like this?” Giles yanked her away and asked firmly, but with no malice. He was enjoying her antics. 

  Flushing again, Sue smiled at Stephen again, after pushing Giles away. 

 

  “This has been a really wonderful night, hanging out with you,” she said quietly, surprising herself so much that she sobered up a little, “I hope we can meet again, after all this.” 

  Stephen wanted what she said to be real, but the possibilities were way too thin. His filming of the Oscar Wilde biopic was successful, but his other handfuls of projects were still to be finished. 

  “We will.” he reassured her, wishing almost fervently that she was telling her true feelings; but how could she, after all the drinks and the high from dancing? 

 

o-o-o 

 

(EPILOGUE) 

 

(2010) 

 

  It was almost for her first time appearing on this show named QI, as Alan Davies was over-enthusiastic about her appearing. 

  Sue arrived way earlier than expected, as she only found Alan gossiping to someone on the phone. 

 

  “…and I’m telling you next time! Bye!” he then hung up and spotted Sue standing there and staring at him as if stunned. “Sorry that was a friend,” he smiled at her. 

  Sue flushed at his acceptance of her staring. “I wasn’t even supposed to stare at you like that,” she said back, “OK, so which series is this one?” 

  Alan beamed at her. “Series G! This time, it’s G Is For Gothic, so it’s kinda macabre.” 

 

  Sue nodded, absentmindedly playing along when a long distance memory formed all over again — the masquerade way years ago, around the start of 2000. She closed her eyes, wishing that her mind would no longer bring her that memory all over again. It was ten years ago, and yes, it did have a macabre feel to it, because of all of their costumes and the music. 

 

  Finally, Alan broke her out of her thoughts. “We’ll have to be on set soon,” he reminded her, “and yes, dress up again in your most Edgar Allan Poe fashion.” 

  “Don’t tell me Michael Palin would tell everyone some story of Edgar Allan Poe’s before asking questions, OK?” Sue played along, “alright, see you.” 

  Smiling again, Alan nodded. “Right, and Sue, it’s Stephen hosting QI now, seems like Michael couldn’t at the last minute,” he told her, as they started going towards the dressing rooms together, “didn’t you know?” 

 

  They were almost at the dressing rooms when Alan told her that information, with it making her stop dead in her tracks, with the masquerade parting words echoing in her mind. 

  She looked hard at the other. “I knew,” she said back, “but us…meeting again, after ten years? It…sounds impossible.” 

 

  Alan smirked internally. Brilliant. He needed this before a screening of an episode. 

 

o-o-o 

 

  Things proved to be even more awkward than expected when the filming took place, as Sue was trying her best to be neutral about the decorations of the set, everyone’s dress-up, and of course, Stephen himself. 

  The awkwardness ceased, thankfully, when they finally started the episode, asking questions and generally enjoying Alan being disruptive, which was a relief to Sue’s already mushy mind. 

  Jimmy Carr was way more observant, though, unfortunately, and confronted her when they finished, with Stephen and Alan still suffering from the aftershocks of the fun they had together. 

 

  “So since when?” he asked loudly, as the studio only consisted of him, Sue, Stephen, and Alan. Jack had to leave early, as Jimmy was slightly upset about that one. 

  Behind them, both Alan and Stephen looked up, as Sue immediately forced herself to not think about anything that has got to do with the masquerade of New Years 2000. 

  Looking hard at him, she hissed, “I have no idea what you’re referring to, Jimmy, so please.” 

 

  “Suuuuure.” agreed both Alan and Jimmy, looking between Stephen and Sue, with the latter already flushing with embarrassment and nerves. 

  It had to be the memories, not how Stephen actually affected everyone that got near to him. Alan was friendly, Jack was indifferent, and of course, Jimmy was the same. So why did he affect her worse than anyone else, other than the memories that kept her from accepting the future?

 

  She was only interested in females, for god’s sake, and never males! As well as that, Stephen was almost similar — only interested in males and generally disparaged females! They would never mix, if they ever have a relationship. 

  Even Stephen was puzzled at their change of topic, that was only slightly into the topic of the macabre. 

 

  “What are you two on about, Alan and Jimmy?” he asked, just as exasperated as Sue felt. 

  Jimmy was on the verge of collapsing into more laughing. 

  “It reminded us of the masquerade that  started the 2000s.” he answered, “and interesting that both of them denies it happening.” he told Alan this last part, as said person smiled too knowingly at Sue and Stephen, with the former blushing all over again. 

  “And what about the masquerade?” 

  “You two danced together. Stephen, I was there, dancing with Sandi Toksvig, you know that Danish actress?” smirked Jimmy. 

 

  Sue cringed with nerves almost overpowering her. If this goes out, it will definitely be the destruction of an entire era. 

 

o.O.o. 

 

End one-shot 

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: OK, this is way longer, if I insert the epilogue. Originally, I intended them to not know whether they’ll meet again, but then wanted something better for both of them, so the epilogue was born.   
>  This is intended to be the prequel for JC14’s fic of Fry and Perkins, as the first fic of the series of the same name. The first fic actually mentioned briefly about how they met for the first time, so this idea was born.


End file.
